Will this room explode?

[JoeEllison]

Can you plug too many things in at once? Could a fire break out?

Yeah, I know it isn't likely or logical. On the other hand, the number of things plugged in here is bordering on the absurd.

Are there steps I can take?

[PixyMisa]

If you already have circuit breakers, you shouldn't have much to worry about. If (like me) you have lots of small electronic devices with AC adaptors, those things only draw a few watts each anyway.

[Henners]

If you already have circuit breakers, you shouldn't have much to worry about. If (like me) you have lots of small electronic devices with AC adaptors, those things only draw a few watts each anyway.

That's all very well for you to say, PixyMisa, but I have a lot of low-voltage lighting connected to the same switch, and all those adapters draw a surge of power when turned on. The trip blows about 5% of the time in the mornings, though never in the evenings, for some reason.

[NorwegianSquirrel]

You can plug in too many things at once, which will usually lead to a broken fuse.

But of course, faulty wiring may lead to fire and/or injuries.

[JoeEllison]

Circuit breakers....

[PixyMisa]

That's all very well for you to say, PixyMisa, but I have a lot of low-voltage lighting connected to the same switch, and all those adapters draw a surge of power when turned on. The trip blows about 5% of the time in the mornings, though never in the evenings, for some reason.
Ah, but the room has not exploded!

[Ivor the Engineer]

From a health and safety point of view, it is probably the equipment wires that pose the greatest risk, mainly as trip hazards.

[Henners]

Ah, but the room has not exploded!

I cannot argue with that.

[JoeEllison]

I just... worry. I've got a dozen things plugged into the outlet behind my desk, plus a bunch of stuff all over the room, including 3 guitar amplifiers. I'm not sure houses were wired for this sort of thing.

[Freethinker]

I just... worry. I've got a dozen things plugged into the outlet behind my desk, plus a bunch of stuff all over the room, including 3 guitar amplifiers. I'm not sure houses were wired for this sort of thing.

It's not the number of things plugged in, it's the amount of current drawn by what is plugged in. Breakers and fuses are size to keep the wire from overheating, so when you start drawing enough current to do that, your breaker will trip. The wiring and breaker don't care if you have one 20A load like a heater or 200 100 milliamp loads like AC adapters.

[Rob Lister]

And never plug the vacuum cleaner into the same circuit as the computer room.

[madurobob]

It's not the number of things plugged in, it's the amount of current drawn by what is plugged in. Breakers and fuses are size to keep the wire from overheating, so when you start drawing enough current to do that, your breaker will trip. The wiring and breaker don't care if you have one 20A load like a heater or 200 100 milliamp loads like AC adapters.
True, but....

If its a standard 20 amp circuit fed with 12 gauge copper wire controlled by a 20 amp breaker, the breaker will trip before the amperage gets too high and overheats the wire. But the code only requires 20 amp devices (receptacles, switches) when there is only one device on the circuit - a dedicated circuit for just that device. 20 amp devices cost about 5X the standard 15 amp devices.

Typically, in a house with one 20 amp circuit feeding a roomful of receptacles each individual receptacle is only rated at 15 amps. So, technically you could overload an individual receptacle and it could overheat to the point of being a fire hazard. But its extremely unlikely. You'd have to have a full 20 amp load continuously for many hours - maybe days - to get the receptacle hot enough.

OTOH, many houses are wired with 14 gauge copper (or 12 gauge AL) that is rated at 15 amps. This should be on a 15 amp breaker. Since std devices are also 15 amp there is no problem running the max circuit load through one receptacle.

[Soapy Sam]

Bear in mind that theoretical safety limits work only if all equipment is in good condition.
One loose connection in a power outlet can overheat through arcing and varying resistance, even under a much lighter load than the rated maximum.

Never rely solely on breakers or fuses. Check your gear. Check for bad connections and damaged insulation.
If a plug gets hot, or you hear crackling noises from it, replace it at once.

[Beady]

I just... worry. I've got a dozen things plugged into the outlet behind my desk, plus a bunch of stuff all over the room, including 3 guitar amplifiers. I'm not sure houses were wired for this sort of thing.

So, how often is it that all of these are turned on at the same time?

[fagin]

Still using wired electricity?
I have a stylish line of aluminium hats that allow you to draw current directly from the cosmos.[/COLOR][COLOR="Indigo"]
I do, it's true, really it is.
And if you think it's not prove it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Soapy Sam]

Not "wired."
Weird.

[JoeEllison]

And never plug the vacuum cleaner into the same circuit as the computer room.

The vacuum cleaner is right there, staring at me in a sinister way...:eek:

[Ziggurat]

Can you plug too many things in at once? Could a fire break out?

Can it happen? Yes, of course. But it's not usually very easy to do.

If you're really curious, there should be tags on pretty much any electrical appliance you have which indicate the maximum current the device should draw. Add these up, and you'll get the worst-case scenario. If they exceed the capacity of the wiring in your house, you may have a problem. Extension cords are also rated with maximum safe current capacities, which should also be written somewhere on the cord, so make sure that checks out too.

[3point14]

You're clearly not trying very hard. If you really want the room to explode, just make sure it's full of lots of very fine dust - flour dust should do it, and wait for one of your many electronic bits and pieces to emit a spark. Job done.


Oh, I see, you didn't actually want the room to explode. Sorry, my mistake.

[tracer]

I remember seeing movies in grade school about the hazards of plugging too many appliances into the same outlet. The results were usually akin to the Chernobyl disaster, only not as nice.

Turns out, the kinds of houses those movies were set in were houses built around the turn of the last century (1900-ish). Back then, insulation wasn't used. Houses were wired up knob-and-spool fashion, with bare copper wires running along the beams and inside the walls. If one of those wires got hot, it could deform to the point where it touched the opposing wire and short-circuited the whole house.

[AgeGap]

I have just had my house risk assessed by the local fire brigade. They warned against ussing the block type 3 way adaptors. The reason they gave was that the weight of plugs attached can drag them from the socket and cause shorting. Strip type ones were recommended.

[Soapy Sam]

I have just had my house risk assessed by the local fire brigade. They warned against ussing the block type 3 way adaptors. The reason they gave was that the weight of plugs attached can drag them from the socket and cause shorting. Strip type ones were recommended.


That's a good example of the insecure contact I mentioned before.